Scuba excursions?

[OhioScubaGirl]

What has happened to Carnival's SCUBA excursion offerings?  They are only offering dive excursions at a handful of islands now and you used to be able to dive many tropical islands with Carnival.   Notably Cozumel, Belize, Grand Turk, and Nassau are no longer offering certified dives through Carnival. I had Nassau booked for a June trip (Freedom that got cancelled) and now I can't book it for my November cruise.  I should have checked that they were still offering SCUBA but I didn't before I booked. I'm really disappointed.  Scuba at Caribbean islands is a major draw for me to cruise.   I like to book through Carnival for a number of reasons -  schedule, vetting company, and more guaranteed attendance.  I am going to look for private vendors and appreciate any tips for Nassau.  Does anyone know what is going on?    

[tallnthensome]

Check the ports of call forums for local excursions .

[1025cruise]

Unfortunately, insurance requirements have killed the ship's scuba excursions.

[Moviela]

I love diving in the Caribbean with it's warm, shallow water and 150 ft visibility. The problem is that like a lot of technical sports it has become too expensive to attract large numbers of people to the hobby.

I tried a Carnival excursion in Mexico, but it was a starter class as most "certified" divers could not clear a snorkel or adjust buoyancy to avoid kicking the sand. They also emptied a cylinder in 10 minutes at 20 Ft.

If you have a buddy with you, you can find competent shops to supply gear and a dive.

[TN Roz]

I agree with the previous poster. My husband dives and at first would only book through the cruise line, but for the past several years, has booked on his own. He researches the different dive companies at our stops and  is usually able to book thought their websites and has always had excellent dives.

[Dive Master]

I booked the Carnival Pride for November specifically to dive. Carnival changed Grand Cayman to Costa Maya for our last port stop. When I booked the cruise Carnival offered a dive excursion at all four ports ( Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman. Now all the dive excursions are no longer listed on Carnivals website.

I did manage to book scuba excursions for three of our ports through one of the big Shore Excursion websites. I decided to skip Belize due to the long tender ride and trying to get to the dive shop on time. The other three ports we are docked and I am familiar with the ports having been there often.

 

I think Carnival is making a mistake here. I don’t think I would book another Caribbean cruise that did not offer dive excursions. I might as well just fly to Cozumel, Cayman, etc for a week. My wife does not dive so cruising provides her a nice vacation too.

 

For Nassua, I would suggest contacting Stuart Coves Dive Bahamas. They used to pick up at the pier . Their shop is about 30 minutes away from Nassau. I have enjoyed diving with them several times.

[1025cruise]

4 hours ago, Dive Master said:

I booked the Carnival Pride for November specifically to dive. Carnival changed Grand Cayman to Costa Maya for our last port stop. When I booked the cruise Carnival offered a dive excursion at all four ports ( Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman. Now all the dive excursions are no longer listed on Carnivals website.

I did manage to book scuba excursions for three of our ports through one of the big Shore Excursion websites. I decided to skip Belize due to the long tender ride and trying to get to the dive shop on time. The other three ports we are docked and I am familiar with the ports having been there often.

 

I think Carnival is making a mistake here. I don’t think I would book another Caribbean cruise that did not offer dive excursions. I might as well just fly to Cozumel, Cayman, etc for a week. My wife does not dive so cruising provides her a nice vacation too.

 

For Nassua, I would suggest contacting Stuart Coves Dive Bahamas. They used to pick up at the pier . Their shop is about 30 minutes away from Nassau. I have enjoyed diving with them several times.

Unfortunately, it's not just Carnival. It's pretty much all cruise lines that are no longer offering Scuba excursions.

[Pellaz]

12 hours ago, Dive Master said:

For Nassua, I would suggest contacting Stuart Coves Dive Bahamas. They used to pick up at the pier . Their shop is about 30 minutes away from Nassau. I have enjoyed diving with them several times.

 

I'll second the recommendation for Stuart's Cove; however, we did have a poor experience with them last November, with a boat full of snorkelers, snuba folks, and a couple of scuba folks.  There were only two crew members available and it was a confused mess.  

My other experiences with them have been great, although we haven't been able to visit the wreck near Atholl Island the last few years due to sea conditions.